Not even close.

Heath Ledger was the greatest Joker ever.

As well as the most believable.

Why?

For one, his make-up. See, it wasn't perfectly painted-on or surgically enhanced like Nicholson's, who if I recall, has some sort of gruesome industrial accident that melted his face and caused him to paint it up?

But for Heath's Joker, his make-up was just some grease paint slapped on, like a crazy street person might do it.

He was so good as Joker in that movie that I found myself being bored with the scenes he wasn't in. I kept wanting them to end so the movie could hurry up and get back to Joker. I don't recall ever feeling like that about any other super hero villain before. Or even Super Hero.

Super Villains are rarely truly menacing or disturbing. Usually, they're just sort of cartoon-like caricatures. Not the case with Ledger's Joker. It's just a shame he could only do one movie. I didn't even bother watching another Batman movie after he died. Though I am a big Bale fan, I saw enough of him as Batman. And truth be told, he is such a fine actor--one of the Top 3-5 in Hollywood for sure, that his talents are pretty much wasted as Batman.

There are a slew of guys out there who can play Batman.

But we will never have another Joker as good as Heath Ledger was.